Protection Vs. Dueling Fighting Style

[MadBear]

Hello Playgrounders,

I wanted some help deciding which fighting style to go with my Vengeance Paladin. We're starting at level 1, and I'm taking variant human to grab sentinel right away.

With that said, sentinel gives me the option to use my reaction to make a weapon attack when they attack an ally. Protection allows me to use my reaction to impose disadvantage on an enemy attacking a friend. So by picking protection, I feel there's a bit of an overlap.

However, that overlap covers different situations. When they're attacking one of the squishies, disadvantage is probably going to help more then another attack, and when they're attacking the other front liner, an extra attack is going to be really nice.

Dueling is just a straight up increase to damage. It's not huge, but it's not insignificant either. Considering I'm going sword and board, I feel that dueling might up my damage, but with smite/hunters mark, my damage is probably in the acceptable range anyway.

Anyway's, I'm starting to rant longer then I meant to. So my question is, what fighting style would you go for with a sword and board Vengeance Paladin.

[edge2054]

If you have your heart set on sentinel I'd go with duelist.

[Finieous]

I would take Dueling even if I weren't taking Sentinel at first level. With the feat, I think it's a no-brainer. Where your squishies are concerned, the best "disadvantage" is for the attacker to be dead.

[Gurka]

I would take Dueling even if I weren't taking Sentinel at first level. With the feat, I think it's a no-brainer. Where your squishies are concerned, the best "disadvantage" is for the attacker to be dead.

I'd certainly choose duelist as well. It will benefit you every turn that you attack, while protection will only help in select situations, and if you're taking sentinel, then you will have another valid use for your reaction.

[Strill]

Protection Style is very niche. IMO it's just a bad ability. You have to be within 5' of an ally, AND the ally has to be attacked, AND you have to use your reaction, AND the disadvantage you apply has to make the difference between a hit and a miss, AND you can only use it on one attack. Three times out of four, Protection Style won't make the difference between a hit and a miss, even if you do manage to use it.

If you could see the die result before deciding to use it, it would be a much more viable ability.

[OldTrees1]

Protection can be useful for a Sentinel but at diminishing returns. Since you chose Vengeance over Devotion/Ancients, I think your preferences fall more in line with Dueling than with Protection.

[MadBear]

Protection can be useful for a Sentinel but at diminishing returns. Since you chose Vengeance over Devotion/Ancients, I think your preferences fall more in line with Dueling than with Protection.

It's kinda funny that you said that, because I was kinda thinking the opposite. I figured that since Vengeance was already giving me some nice attack benefits, that protection would be more beneficial for rounding the character out.

With that said, I think people have made some great points about why dueling>protection.

Quick question though. does the opportunity attack from sentinel trigger before or after the attack against my ally? If it's before, then it truly does help kill the enemy prior to them dealing damage, but if it's after, then it might be more beneficial to help give my ally disadvantage on the attack roll against them.

[Finieous]

Quick question though. does the opportunity attack from sentinel trigger before or after the attack against my ally? If it's before, then it truly does help kill the enemy prior to them dealing damage, but if it's after, then it might be more beneficial to help give my ally disadvantage on the attack roll against them.

The reaction attack interrupts and is resolved first. Otherwise it would be the Avenger feat. ;)

[Mechaviking]

Protection is Very situational, since you are starting with the sentinel feat I would agree with previous commenters: Dueling all the way.

[MadBear]

wow, it's seems people are pretty anonymous. So the Dueling Style it is then.

[edge2054]

To add a dissenting opinion, Sentinel and Protection are nice when paired on two different characters. If you have a rogue in your party for instance, and that character has Sentinel, you can apply disadvantage when someone attacks the rogue. And if they attack you, well the rogue gets to sneak attack!

[MaxWilson]

wow, it's seems people are pretty anonymous. So the Dueling Style it is then.

"Unanimous"?

[edge2054]

"Unanimous"?

edge2054 isn't my real name :shhh:

[MadBear]

"Unanimous"?

nah, I obviously was referring to the fact that people voting for the dueling style were:


not identified by name; of unknown name.

.... yes, that's obviously what I meant...... no typo's to see here.....:smallwink:

[Hytheter]

It's kind of a shame though, I wish Protection was good since it's a cool ability thematically. I might be inclined to say that you can move as part of the reaction, and that it either blocks the attack outright (I think blocking one attack once per turn as a reaction isn't too OP) or the Paladin takes the attack in place of the target (still with disadvantage?). Odds are the Paladin has more HP/AC than the one he's protecting, so it could be a fair trade.

[TheDeadlyShoe]

I don't think Protection is all that situational. If you intend on trying to keep enemies off your allies you can use it quite a bit.

A lot of monsters have special attack effects on some but not all of their attacks: poison stingers, grapples, charge bonuses, etc. You can choose to apply disadvantage on that particular attack.

[Strill]

that it either blocks the attack outright (I think blocking one attack once per turn as a reaction isn't too OP)

Give it the same effect as Defensive Duelist.